Traction splint



Aus- 12,1941. G. w. HAYDEN TRAcTIoN SPLINT Filed March 18, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 y hwg-"w Otto m95.

Patented Aug. 12, 194i TRACTION SPLINT George W. Hayden, Miami, Fla., assigner,` by direct and mesne assignments, of thirty-sevenv and one-half per cent to M.

A. Tibbets and` twenty per cent to E. F. P. Brigham, Miami, Fla., and ve per cent to Sidney A. Jones, Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

Application March 18, 1940, Serial Nc. 324,685

6 claims. (Cl. 12s- 85) The present invention relates to improvements in traction splints and has for an object to provide an improved splint designed for collapsibility to enable it to be easily and compactly carried, which is useful particularly by rst aid workers in preventing compound fractures, and which is helpful in transporting patients without complicating broken limbs.

It is another object of the invention to provide an improved traction splint so constructed and arranged that it may be quickly and easily applied either with the use of straps or with bandages. i

Primarily the invention deals with a rst aid device and is not especially designed as a permanent splint, although it may be used for that purpose. A great majority of compound fractured bones are caused by inexperienced handling of accident victims Who have broken limbs. The invention aims to avoid this condition by providing a iirst aid traction splint that may be easily applied by the ordinary layman at the scene of the accident without moving the patient unnecessarily.

The invention' also aims to relieve a great amount of the' pain when applied Without moving the victim; and it is adapted to correctly set the broken limb in its proper place.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, the invention will be Vmore fully described here'- inafter, and will be more particularly pointed out in the claims appended hereto.

In the drawings, wherein like symbols refer to like or corresponding parts throughout the several views.

`Figure 1 is a top plan View of an improved traction splint constructed in accordance with the present invention and showing one manner of application.

' Figure 2 is a side elevation of the same.`

Figure 3 is an enlarged longitudinal section along the line 3-3 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 isatransverse section taken on the line 4-4 of Figure 3. A

Figure 5 is a similar'view taken on 5--5, also of Figure 3. A

Figure 6 is a perspective View of `a form of crotch and arm sling employed, and

Figure '7 is a similar View of a form and hand traction sling employed.

Referring more parti-cularly to the drawings, I designates generally a tube composed of a plurality of sections each having at one end a connector sleeve II for receiving telescopicallyand `frictionally the adjacent end of the next section.

the line of foot CII dii) Such tube sections may be of any desired lengths or of diiferent lengths in or'der, when assembled, to produce a tube having an overall length suitable for the purpose.

At one end the tube I0 carries a fork I2 having the outstanding horns I3 to freely receive thereover the rings I4 which are on the ends of the straps or tapes I5 connected to the sling IE5. This sling is more particularly shown in Figure `(i and is advantageously composed of leather padded with sponge rubber, although othermaterial may be used. This sling .isv to nt beneath the crotch, as shown in Figuresl and 2, or under the arm or it might t around the body. Included in the straps Iii are suitable buckles I'I for adjusting the lengths of the straps in order to draw the sling I 6 taut.

At theV other end of the tube, such tube isopen to slidingly receive a threaded spindle I'B. On this spindle is la nut I9 threadedly engaged with the threads of the spindle and abutting `against the end of the tube `I B whereby on rotation of the nut in one direction the spindle I8 will be fed out from the tube I0 forming a greater prolongation or extension 'of the tube, and on rotation in the other direction will permit the spindle to be telescoped into the tube, Vthus shortening the overall length of tube and its spindle.

Mounted on the tube I0 adjacent the nut I9 is a sleeve 2U. This sleeve is slidable upon the l-owermost section Yof the tube and it is also rotatable about such section of the tube I0 but it has a frictional fit on such tube as to retain the sleeve in any position of adjustment axially along the tube or angularly' about the axis of the tube. The sleeve` 20' carries across bar 2l offset to one side of the tube and extending transversely to the axis of the tube, such cross bar 2| being offset to one side of the axis of the tube. At the ends of the cross bar are forks 22 having outwardly extending horns 23.

The lower or free end of the spindle I8 carries a cross bar 24 which is transverse to the axis of the spindle, it being `understood that the axes of the tube Ill and spindle I8 are co-incident, the one being the prolongation of the other. The cross bar 24 is also on the axis of the spindle I8 and in this respect it is unlike the cross bar 2|. The relative positions `of the two cross bars 2I and 24 is best seen in Figure 5 where the cross bars are relatively offset. In other words the cross bar 2l is eccentric to the axis of the tube ID and spindle I8; whereas the cross bar 24 is concentric with respect to such axis.

At its outer ends thecross bar 24 carries forks 25 having outstanding horns 26. Swivelly carried upon the cross bar 24 is a fork 21 having horns 28. The swivel pin is shown at 29 in Figure 3. As shown in this gure is also one construction for carrying the cross bar 24 upon the spindle I8, which is by means of collar 38 internally threaded to mate with the threads upon the spindle I8, and there being a set screw -3I mounted transversely in the collar 38 to bind into the spindle to prevent the rotation of the collar 3l! and its casual or accidental movement off the spindle or of its rotary movement on the spindle which might change -the direction of the arms of the cross bar 24, it being the aim to adjust the two cross bars 2| and 24 so that they extend generally in the same direction. I

A foot traction sling 32 is adapted to extend about the ankle or other part to be drawn, as shown in Figures 1 and 2, there being straps 33 and buckles 34 for the purpose of binding the sling around the member or limb. The sling 32 also carries straps 35 including adjusting buckles 36 for varying the lengths of such straps. At their ends the straps 35 carry rings 31 to engage the horns 28 of the swivel fork 21 after the strapsl35 pass through the forks 22 and 25 as shown in Figures 1 and 2.

A jack, support or prop is shown in Figures 1, 2 .and 4 and as comprising generally the legs 33 and 39 diverging apart to rest upon a supporting surface at Widely separated points and meeting and overlapping at angled upper portions thereof toreceive the bolt or fulcrum 48 for uniting the same `pivotally-together. A brace 4I is pivoted at 42 upon one of the legs and has a notched free end 43 to engage about bolt 44 carried by v the companion leg on which is run a threaded butterfly nut for tightening against the brace 4I to hold the prop in the supporting position.

The upper shorter ends 43 and 41 of the legs diverge in relatively opposite directions and carry the semi-cylindrical sections 48 and 48 which when moved together, in the manner indicated in Figure 4, form a complete cylinder enclosing the tube I8 which the prop is designed to support as indicated in Figures 1, 2 and 4. It will be noted from Figures 6 and '1 comparatively to Figure that the width of the straps I5, 33 and 35 is much narrower than the width of the forks 22 and 25, although straps of the same width as the forks'm'ay be used. Bandages or belts 53 in,

any suitable number may be bound around the tube ID andthe affected leg or limb 5I of the` patient.

` In the use 'of the device, the tube is placed along the affectedlimb as for instance along a fractured leg of a patient as indicated in Figures 1 and 2V. 'Ihe crotch sling I5 is adjusted in position and its vstraps brought together so that the rings I4 thereof are engaged over the horns I3 of fork I2. The sling 32 is then bound by its straps 33 around the ankle, the straps 35 of this sling being trained through the forks 22 and Vthe forks 25 and being brought together at the fork 21 with the rings 31 engaging over the horns- 28.

The various buckles are so adjusted as to take up all slack in the slings and in their straps so that when the nut I9 is turned in the correct manner, for instance in a clockwise manner as viewed in Figure 1 assuming the threads of the spindle 'I8 and the nut I9 to be 'right-handed,

the stretching of the leg will be commenced by feeding out the spindle I8 in a right-hand direction, viewing the parts in Figure l. Such move- CJI ment of the spindle I8 carries with it the outer cross bar 24 and its forks 25 along with the swivel fork 21, thus pulling upon the sling 32 and causing the fractured part to be distended so that the ends of the bone at the fracture may be pulled out of the overlapping relation and may -be made to abut end to end in a position where the bone may re-establish itself.

During this movement the straps 35 slide freely through the fork formed by the horns 22. The opposite horns 22 are spaced by the cross bar 2I a relatively wide distance so as to spread the straps 35 away from the limb and away from the foot and also away from the nut I9 and the spindle I8 so as not to interfere either with the limb or with the manipulating devices. At the same time the cross bar 2| is adjustable longitudinally along the tube I0 so that it may be brought up close to the end of the limb or foot or moved downwardly farther from the same in accordance with the best position for receiving and spacing the straps 35.

Moreover the cross bar 2| may be rotated angularly about the tube IEI in order to cause the oppositely supported forks 22 to assume any desired angle relative position with respect to the limb or to the foot, or to the outer cross bar 24 and its forks 25. Of course the outer cross bar 24 may be also angularly adjusted to follow the angular adjustment of the cross bar 2i by loosening the set screw 3I and turning the collar 30, whereupon the set screw 3| may again be tightened into the spindle I8. The fact that the outermost fork 21 is swivelly mounted enables the forks 28 thereof to `assume any desired angular position with respect to the forks 25 of the outer cross bar 24. Thus where rings, such as the rings 31 are used, the horns 28 may be turned toward the forks 25, but where straps are to be passed from fork to fork 25 through the outer swivel fork 21, that latter fork 21 may be turned so that its passage therethrough registers with the passage through the forks 25.

From the foregoing description it will be appreciated that the device may be readily applied at the scene of an accident by persons without Vmedical training in order to avoid compound fractures, to ease pain and generally to promote the better conditi-on of the victim of an accident until such time as such victim may be transported to a hospital for surgical attention. At the hospital the surgeon may in the quickest manner remove the device by simply spinning the nut I9 in a counter-clockwise direction to cause Y it to move to the right along the threads of the spindle I8, and thus to allow the pressure to be relieved on the straps 35, the rings 31 to be thereby lifted 01T the horns 28 in which event the tool may be readily moved away from the leg, it being understood that the crotch sling I6 can be then readily demounted. The sleeve 32 being removed, the entire device is wholly freed from the patient to enable the surgeon to place the limb in a cast or to perform such other surgical lperations as the situation may recommend to By reason of the offsetting of the cross bar 2|, the tractive effort is exerted more nearly in alinement with the broken bone because the offsetting allows the cross bar 2| to be placed substantially below and crosswise of the foot, and the rotary movement of sleeve 2l) on the tube allows the cross bar to be shifted to a desired diagonal position with respectto the foot so that the forks 22 may be made to assume any angular position with respectto the `f cot whereby the straps of the sling may come Voff such sling at any points around its circumference;V or to .say the same thing .in anotherrway, the sling may be applied to the ankle, in any rotationalposition substantially without regard to where the straps of the ankle sling will fall.Y Y

The cross bar 2| may be made to assume any position to receive` such straps no matter "Where they may occur, and' at the same time the cross bar .2l maintains its offset relation with respect to the axis of the tube; thus the offsetting of the cross bar and its rotational mounting contribute mutually to aA unitary result which is enhanced by the'adjustability of the offset cross bar 2| along the length or axis of the tube IQ whereby the cross bar may be placed closer to, or farther away from, the foot and the sling 32.

The upper sling I6 forms an abutment sling to prevent the upward movement of the rigid tube and thereby forms an abutment against which the thrust or the tractive eort incidental to the feeding out of thespindle I8 by the nut I9 is received. This enables the outward movement of the spindle i8 to draw down upon the traction sling 32 and thus to exert the necessary tractive effort upon the leg or the other injured limb.

When the brace il of the prop is disengaged from the bolt d@ and its nut 5, the legs 38 and 39 may be collapsed together causing the semicylindrical sections d8 and t9 to move apart. In this Way the prop may be freed from the tube. This is also the condition of the prop for its application along any part of the tube. One application of the prop is shown in Figures 1 and 2 Where through the tube it supports the injured limb while the rigid rod holds the limb in a rigid longitudinal position suitable for the tractive eort of the improved splint.

It will be obvious to those skilled in the art that the improvedl splint is also applicable in the case of a broken back or on a pelvis bone. In the latter case the abutment sling may extend about the waist of the patient while the traction sling extends about both ankles to enable the splint to draw down both legs simultaneously, In such case bandages may extend around both legs and about both hips at such frequent intervals as desirable and such bandages may or may not be attached to the rod lil. Or the splint may be connected with the waist and with one ankle to draw down the pelvis bone on one side if the break should occur on a single side.

In the case of a broken back the rod I() will extend up in back of the patient substantially parallel with the spine and with the cross bars 2l and 24 directed upwardly with the abutment sling I6 extending about the waist and with traction slings extending under both arm pits and with a further traction sling extending about I the head, both traction slings being connected by their straps or tapes to the movable cross bar 24 as previously explained or in any desired manner.

It is obvious that Various changes and modifications may be made in the details of construction and design of the above specifically described embodiment of this invention without departing from the spirit thereof, such changes and modifications being restricted only by the scope of the following claims.

What is claimed is:

l. An improved traction splint comprising a tube, an abutment sling connected to one end of the tube, a spindle movably mounted in the other end of the tube, a traction sling adapted to be connected to a limb of a patient, straps connected to said sling, a cross barwith extensions on both sides of the axis of `said tube and carried `by the tube, a fork carried by each extension of said cross bar for slidablyreceiving one of said straps, means carried by the spindle `to which .ithe outer ends of the straps may be aiiixed, and operative means for feeding the spindle out from the tube.

2. Any improved traction splint comprisingla rigid tube, an abutment sling connected to one end portion of said tube, `a spindle movably mounted in the other end portion of the tube, a cross bar with extensions ony both sidesv of the axisV of said tube, a fork on each extension of the cross bar, supporting means for the cross bar slidable axially on the tube and rotatable about said tube, a traction sling, tapes on said sling slidable through said forks, means on the spindle to affix the tapes thereto, and means to feed the spindle out of the tube.

3. An improved traction splint comprising a substantially rigid tube, an abutment sling connected to one end portion of said tube, a spindle adjustably mounted in the other end portion of the tube, a cross bar with extensions on both sides of the axis of said tube, a fork on each extension of thecross bar, a sleeve supporting the cross bar at one side of the axis of the tube, said sleeve being frictionally slidable longitudinally of the tube and rotatable angularly about the tube, a traction sling, tapes on the sling slidable through said forks, means on the spindle to affix the tapes thereto, and means for feeding the spindle out of the tube.

4. An improved traction splint comprising an elongated substantially rigid extensible member adapted to be disposed alongside of the injured portion of the patients body, said member comprising two relatively axially movable elements, means for extending said member by effecting said movement, an abutment sling secured to one end of said member, a traction sling adapted to occupy a position intermediate the ends of said member, tapes attached to said traction sling, means for securing the ends of said tapes to the opposite end of said member, a spreader element mounted upon said member at an intermediate point and extending transversely thereof so that its ends project from each side of said member, and means on the oppositely projecting ends of said spreader element for guiding the intermediate portions of said respective tapes in spread apart position.

5. An improved traction splint comprising an elongated substantially rigid extensible member adapted to be disposed alongside of the injured portion of the patients body, said member comprising two relatively axially movable elements, means for adjustably extending said member by eiecting said movement, an abutment sling secured to one end of said member, a tractionsling adapted to occupy a position intermediate the ends of said member, a pair of tapes attached to said traction sling, means for securing the ends of said tapes to the opposite end of said member, a spreader bar for the tapes, means for supporting said spreader Ibar on said member at an intermediate point for rotatable Aand longitudinal sliding movement with its ends projecting from opposite sides of said member, and means on the oppositely projecting ends of said spreader bar for guiding the intermediate portions of said respective tapes in spread apart position, whereby the angular position of said traction sling may be adjusted relative to the abutment sling.

6. An improved traction splint comprising an elongated substantially rigid extensible member adapted to be disposed alongside of the injured portion of the patients body, said member-cornprising two relatively axially movable elements, means for adjustably extending said member by effecting said movement, an abutment sling secured to one end of said member, a traction sling adapted. to occupy a position intermediate the ends of said member, a pair of tapes attached to said traction sling, means for securing the ends of said tapes to the opposite end of said member, a transverse spreader bar carried bythe last named end of said member, a second spreader bar positioned at an intermediate point with respect to said member and extending transversely thereof, the oppositely extending ends of both spreader bars projecting from opposite sides of said member, means on the oppositely projecting ends of said spreader bars for guiding the intermediate portions of said respective tapes in spread apart position, means for supporting said intermediate spreader bar on said member for rotatable and longitudinal sliding movement, whereby the angular position `of said traction sling may be adjusted relative to the abutment sling.

GEORGE W. HAYDEN. 

